ST. AGATHA, Maine — The St. Agatha Ladies of Saint Anne hosted the annual Deanery I Saint Anne Feast Day celebration on July 21 at the St. Agatha Catholic Church with a Mass followed by a reception and banquet.
Nearly 170 members attended from the 10 sodalities of Deanery I, which includes the Ladies of Saint Anne from Caribou, Eagle Lake, Fort Kent, Frenchville, Grand Isle, Limestone, Madawaska/St. David, North Caribou, St. Agatha and Wallagrass.
The sodalities welcomed 16 new members into the Ladies of Saint Anne at the feast day celebration. Inductees were, from Frenchville: Diane Landry, Lisa Paradis and Joan Roy; Fort Kent: Jeannine Nadeau; Caribou: Shirley Anderson, Jana Dumond, Marilyn Hewitt, Jeannette Pelkey and Susan Perrow; and from St. Agatha: Nicole Chamberland, Sue Chamberland, Judy Chasse, Andie Labbe, Martha Michaud, Connie Melenica and Patty Michaud.
The founder of Deanery I, Norma Daigle Shaw, was honored at the banquet for her accomplishments in organizing the sodalities in Aroostook County. She was president of the Ladies of Saint Anne at Holy Rosary Parish in Caribou in 1996 when she founded the deanery. At the banquet, Artheline Bernier, president of Deanery I, described Norma as warm, caring and compassionate, as well as fun-loving and easy to be with.
Shaw grew up in a large Catholic family, said Bernier.
“Her life soon became a faith-healing ministry through her prayers and compassionate care for her patients as a nurse. Later in life, she developed a blessed prayer-shawl ministry, bringing comfort to those with physical and mental challenges,” she said.
Shaw’s spirituality took place in the community, Bernier said, and found expression in serving others.
“Even now, at 86 years of age, as she struggles with her own health, she is still welcoming to friends and perfect strangers who need prayers and ask her to pray over them,” she said. “She unites her prayers with God for the greater good of all those in need. She continues to be an inspiration to all of us who know her and those who come into her life on a daily basis.”
Shaw was raised in Madawaska and currently resides in Caribou with her husband, John Richard Shaw.
